I'm not typically a coffee drinker; the odd time I do have coffee, it's usually from Tim Hortons and it makes my stomach churn. Over the weekend, I had some coffee at my cousins place made with a french press. I really liked it and am now considering getting a french press for my own home.

What do you guys recommend as a good beginner french press? I have no concept of coffee roasts, etc other than what i've gleaned from a few threads on this sub.

Is there a store I should check out (preferably online as I live in the middle of nowhere) that ships to Canada? What should I avoid when purchasing a french press and associated equipment? I'm probably going to stick with supermarket blends for the time being until I decide what I like, etc.

Bodum makes the best french press. Thick glass which will help keep the coffee hot. Coarse grind is used for French press. French Press is the way I got hooked. Welcome to the long road looking for the ultimate cup of coffee . Not unlike looking for the perfect shave.

We got our Bodum coffee press at the Salvation Army of all places new and in the box. We also use auto drip coffee makers and an old fashioned plug in peculator. Personally I don't see too much difference in the way the coffee tastes if the same coffee is used in all three. I think it really depends on finding a blend you like more than anything else.
You do know that not liking Timmys coffee is grounds, pun intended, for the revoking your Canadian citizenship.

If you're just starting out into coffee making, I will suggest getting the Aeropress (look for it on Amazon). It is really easy to use, easy to clean and offers you French Press-like coffee for a low price.

The down side is that it makes just one cup of coffee at a time. Still, it's really quite good.

(04-05-2015, 12:32 PM)yohannrjm Wrote: If you're just starting out into coffee making, I will suggest getting the Aeropress (look for it on Amazon). It is really easy to use, easy to clean and offers you French Press-like coffee for a low price.

The down side is that it makes just one cup of coffee at a time. Still, it's really quite good.

Thanks guys. I happened to stop in at a Starbucks and they had a press for only $22. It's a Bodum of some kind. I'm still trying to figure out how many scoops of grounds to how much water is the right mix, but so far each cup of coffee has been great. I bought a package of their (Starbucks) Willow roast.

Before going Espresso (and completely bonkers) I had many years of French Press.
At coffeegeek there is a nice introduction how to brew FP.

Coffee making your stomach hurt is a sign of too much acid in it. Supermarket coffee is usually roasted short (and hot) to have a lot of product to sell.

Go seek smaller producers which care to roast longer to keep the acid low.
I could name lots of decent makers this side of the pond which will not help you presumably in the U.S.
Smaller producers hopefully will offer fresher roasts which will have a lot more aromatic oils and taste.
Supermarket coffee usually is many months old (and dead).
Coffeegeek and other forums will help you finding a decent roaster for FP coffees.

And do not forget: the mill is important.
Get a grinder, not something with rotating blades.
Going from a KitchenAid to a Mazzer Mini many years ago was clearly an improvement in taste here.

Bodum: look for the Columbia FP.
It is a stainless steel version with thermo function and nice design.

For the past few years my main brew method has been french press. Up until today I've had a routine that I have followed with a moderate amount of success but was not entirely happy with the end result, which always seemed to have a bit of bitterness to it and too many fines. I always grind my beans fresh using a Baratza Virtuoso burr grinder. I buy very fresh beans that were roasted earlier the week that I bought them. And I store the beans in an airtight canister that allows CO2 to vent out. I would let the water settle down after coming to a boil, pour a bit of water into the grinds and let them steep for 20 seconds before adding the rest of the water. I'd let it brew for 4 minutes before plunging. What I was not doing was measuring the beans or water in any kind of ratio other than using my gut.

So, I watched a couple videos on that You site with the Tube and bought an inexpensive kitchen scale. This morning I followed a somewhat different routine. I measured out the beans to a ratio of 20g of coffee beens to 300g of water. I then let the water settle down off the boil and instead of pre steeping for 20 seconds, I just poured all of the water at once, stirred the grinds on top gently and then let it steep for 4 minutes. I then used a spoon to scoop out the remaining grinds that were floating on top, and then let it sit for 5 more minutes. Then instead of plunging the press down, I just let the press sit near the top of the coffee and poured it into the cup using the press merely as a filter. The end result? Incredible. No bitterness. I use frothed milk for a cafe au lait. It was much much better than any previous carafe that I've made before using the french press. I'm amazed. Just simply following a few more steps made a measurable difference for the better. Now all I have to do is tweak things a little here and there and I will have perfected my french press technique.

My next challenge is to find a reasonably priced machine to make quality espresso. I have a mokka pot which is not espresso. It's really strong coffee. And so far it's too bitter for me as well. On another thread someone recommended something called the Cafelat Robot. It looks pretty good and comes with a gauge so you know how many bars of pressure you are creating. A search also found another called the Rok. Both look to be similar machines. The differences seem to be that the Robot Barista version comes with a pressure gauge so you know how many bars of pressure you are making. The Robot is a little pricier at $370 for the model with a gauge. The Rok is $200 and looks nice but the reservoir where the water goes is plastic. If that breaks I'm not sure it can be replaced. If it can't, then the entire machine is useless. I'm leaning towards the Robot but I wish it was made in the US like the Rok. It's made in Hong Kong. But I digressed from the topic. French Press.

We just bought a french press made of stainless steel. I just measure out the coffee and it tastes pretty good like that. I'm particular about the freshness of the beans and the strongth of it just depends on my moods. So far so good after only having it for 2 weeks.

Bodum, just like everyone else said, is solid and dependable. There a a couple of reasons why a French Press produces good coffee. It allows you to enjoy the nuances of the bean(Flavors and Oil) as long as it is fresh.
1.) The coffee is steeped instead of just poured over the grounds.
2.) Using a kettle, you can make sure the water is at a the ideal temperature.
3.) You are only making 1 or 2 cups at a time-it doesn't have a chance to oxidize as long. The oxidation process is what releases the acid, the sour taste and bitterness.
4.) A paper filter absorbs the oils, while the french press does not. The oil (and foam which is simply the carbon dioxide release from fresh beans) get absorbed by the paper filter and steals a significant amount of flavor from the coffee.

I would recommend a burr grinder, not one that "cuts" the bean like a food processor. Krups and Cuisinart make fine burr grinders.
An electric kettle is also advantageous. Different tea leaves need different temperatures.
The Bodum can be picked up just about anywhere.

If you visit a true coffeehouse, you can ask when they offer "cuppings", which is a time to sample the different coffee beans.

More than you asked for, but perhaps the extra information will be useful.